A canopy of inky darkness stretched overhead, a void sprinkled with a million diamond-fire stars. The crescent moon, a sliver of pearlescent light, cast an ethereal glow on the river's surface. It shimmered like scattered gemstones, disturbed only by the gentle churn of the passing rafts. A flotilla of lashed-together logs snaked its way down the dark waterway, resembling a monstrous centipede with a multitude of glowing eyes. Seated atop the rafts were the young rabbit hunters, they twitched their whiskers and turned their ears – alert and ready to pounce.

On the largest, most fortified raft, a being defied common description. Master X, a writhing mass of tentacles and a hundred mismatched eyes, dominated the vessel. His eyes, each a swirling nebula of vibrant colours, scanned the dense treeline with an unnerving intensity. The air around him buzzed with a faint, bioluminescent glow, a subtle reminder of the otherworldly power coursing through his eldritch blood.

A tangible tension cloaked the air. The young rabbit hunters, barely out of their cotton-tailed youth, mirrored Master X's vigilance. Their eyes, wide and bright with a mix of apprehension and thrill, darted between the inky shadows on the shore and the churning darkness of the river. Unlike the unsettling aura radiating from Master X, the HuntMaster, the leader of this expedition, exuded an unnerving serenity. Her stillness, a stark contrast to the young rabbits' jitters, felt almost predatory.

Perhaps the true threat didn't lurk amongst the tangled branches lining the riverbank. Perhaps the greatest danger lay veiled beneath the surface, unseen in the murky depths. A single, sinuous tentacle belonging to Master X dipped over the edge of the raft, its tip disappearing into the black water. He observed a sudden movement, a flash of iridescent scales like a phantom jewel, followed by a swift retreat. Some unseen creature, startled by the alien appendage, vanished into the muddy abyss below.

Another sinuous tendril from X gestured, his mouths opening to speak. "Is It Much FurTher?" His voice, a raspy whisper that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, echoed across the water.

The Huntmaster squinted into the oppressive darkness. Uncertainty flickered in her usually steady gaze. "We're close, I believe," she murmured, the tremor in her voice betraying her outward confidence. "No, wait – there!" She pointed a calloused paw ahead, her voice gaining a hint of urgency.

Following her gesture, X swivelled his mass, his mismatched eyes glinting with an eerie glow thanks to his Darkvision. They were emerging into a vast expanse of water – a lake, its surface reflecting the starry sky above with a rippling, unsettling distortion. In the distance, several rivers converged, their waters pooling to form this ominous lake.

Despite its size, the lake possessed a current, a relentless flow that tugged at the rafts, pulling them towards its centre. X's near-perfect vision revealed the source of the current – a deep, gaping maw in the water's surface, a crevasse that nearly bisected the lake. It was the source of the current, the maw that led to the promised waterfall, and then the caves, the very reason for their perilous journey.

A sharp whistle pierced the air, a command from the HuntMaster. The young rabbits, eyes wide with a mix of excitement and dread, scrambled to grab their makeshift paddles. But their strokes weren't directed towards the shore; instead, they paddled with an almost desperate urgency towards a lone island that sat precariously at the very heart of the crevasse, overlooking the churning abyss.

As they neared the centre, the current intensified, a monstrous hand tugging at the rafts, threatening to drag them into the unseen depths. The young rabbits, faces grim, dug their paddles deeper, their strokes becoming a frantic race against the current's relentless pull. Seemingly oblivious to the danger, X remained unfazed, his grotesque form a beacon of unsettling calm amidst the rising panic.

He dipped a tentacle into the water making it spin like a propeller. It was so effective that paddling was no longer necessary. The Huntmaster gave him a thankful nod. In retrospect, he should have done this from the very beginning.

Finally, with a jolt, the raft scraped against rough rock. "We've arrived," declared the Huntmaster, her voice laced with a hint of relief as she leapt onto the rocky shore with an agility that belied her earlier uncertainty. "The cave… it's close."

The island, a sliver of land teetering on the brink of a watery oblivion, was their only refuge. But a new question hung heavy in the air – what secrets did the cave hold, and what challenges might await them within its depths? That question hung heavy on the hunters’ faces, their cotton tails wagged – a sign of the excitement.

With practised ease, the young rabbits scrambled off the rafts, hauling them onto the rocky surface. X, his movements slow and deliberate, followed the Huntmaster deeper towards the edge of the island.

Then, abruptly, the world opened before him. A colossal scar ripped through the lake, a yawning chasm where a relentless torrent of water plunged downwards. The sheer power of the falls resonated through X's many senses, a low, guttural roar that seemed to vibrate the very ground beneath his tentacles. The cascading water never seemed to satiate the chasm's hunger; it simply pooled below, forming a churning secondary lake before disappearing into a ragged fissure that led deeper, deeper into some unseen underbelly – the Underdark.

This wasn't just a waterfall; it was a raw wound in the earth, a glimpse into a hidden world. A primal awe, laced with a sliver of unease, flickered in X's mismatched eyes. "How Did YOU even Discover this PLACE?" he rasped, a tendril curling with a mix of curiosity and something akin to greed.

The Huntmaster met his gaze, her crimson eyes gleaming with a strange intensity. "One of our hunters, swept away by the river's fury, returned to us three days later and just barely alive," she explained, her voice a low murmur. "He spoke of a hidden world, a place of wonder and… power."

X dipped a tendril in acknowledgement, his eldritch vision taking in the scene before him. A new hunting ground, a playground for his hunters' insatiable hunger for challenge. Yet, a deeper question lingered – what power did this hidden world hold, and was it a power he could harness or one that might threaten his own?

The Huntmaster's voice broke into his thoughts. "Master X, are you coming? The path down is treacherous." She gestured towards a flight of stairs, carved precariously into the cliff face, each step slick with moisture and the promise of danger.

"Steps..." X boomed, a single guttural sound escaping his many mouths. A tentacle extended, brushing the smooth, polished stone. "Staircase... carved stone... hints of civilisation…” The wonder of it all eclipsed even the awe inspired by the waterfall's raw power. An unsettling silence followed, broken only by the low rumble of the churning water below. This place pulsed with a forgotten history, a mystery X craved to unravel. He signed, his tentacles weaving a silent question – "Who built this?"

The Huntmaster crouched beside him, crimson eyes tracing the path etched into the rock. "Whoever they were, they are no longer here. They all are dead," she murmured. "Look down there." She gestured towards the crevasse's bottom.

There, nestled amidst the churning water, lay another island – a fragment of land trapped within the chasm's grip. Atop it, shrouded in moss and reclaimed by nature, stood the crumbling remains of a structure. Jagged pillars jutted skyward, skeletal remnants of what might have once been a grand palace or perhaps even a sacred temple. All that remained now were whispers of a civilisation silenced by time. A ruin of crumbling stone.

A single, long tentacle snaked out, anchoring X to the damp rock face for stability. His mismatched eyes flickered with curiosity. He gestured again, the question clear – "Is the monster nest you’ve mentioned down there? In the ruins?"

The Huntmaster shook her head. "No, the creatures dwell deeper, within the cave at the stairway's end. "She pointed a finger downwards, revealing a disturbing truth – the carved steps didn't reach the bottom of the chasm. They ended abruptly halfway down, turning to lead somewhere deeper into a cave.

"The ruins," X flicked, his eldritch vision focusing on the crumbling structure, "did you manage to reach them?" he finished with a hopeful twirl of a tendril.

The Huntmaster shook her head once more, her ears twitching. "Perhaps another passage, one within the cave, leads down. But we were forced to stop… because of…" Her voice trailed off, replaced by a sudden alertness.

The chittering sound reached X as well. A low hum resonated through his many senses, a vibration that sent a tremor of unease through his abominable form. He coiled his tentacles, focusing his attention on the source of the sound. A single tentacle pointed towards the darkness of the cave entrance, a silent warning to the young rabbits huddled nearby.

"CaveSpiders," the Huntmaster confirmed, her face twisting into an unnatural grin. “A nest of them," she announced, a hint of relish in her voice, "from level one to five. Perfect training for our young hunters." With a flourish, she took the final step, turning to face the carved entrance of the cave.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

A beckoning hand signalled the young rabbits forward. The young recruits, their cotton-tailed forms trembling with a mix of apprehension and excitement, hopped closer. One by one, they disappeared through the cave's gateway, venturing deeper into the unknown.

But unlike the rabbits, X's focus lingered on the imposing gateway. A single, intricate carving adorned the archway, yet the rabbits showed no curiosity, not even a twitch of their whiskers. A fascinated appendage extended, brushing the inscription. "Runic language," he coiled, his form wriggled with emotion. "A shame I can't decipher it…"

X further surveyed his surroundings: polished stone, intricately carved entryway, etched symbols, and empty slots meant for torches. Everything spoke of a time long past. Dust coated the walls, a silent testament to the forgotten civilisation that once resided here. The Huntmaster was right – whoever built this was long gone.

A tiny head, adorned with a dandelion-fluff-like fur, peeked back from within the cave. "Master X, are you coming?" the young rabbit squeaked.

"Ah, yes," he twirled as he lumbered through the cave’s gateway and after the rabbits.

But the difference between him and his rabbit companions gnawed at him. Past the cave’s gateway, in a large carved hall, there were more peculiarities: more symbols, etched and stylised pillars, glowing crystals embedded in the ceiling above, remnants of finely crafted furniture – these signs of a lost civilisation held no allure for the rabbits. Their singular focus was…

"They’re there," the HuntMaster declared, pointing deeper into one of the tunnels connecting to the hall.

X hadn't even noticed, his eldritch senses were overwhelmed by the whispers of the past. Now, at her words, his scan confirmed her claim. Deep within the tunnels, away from the light of the ceiling crystals, a chorus of angry chitters echoed – a nest of CaveSpiders making their unwelcome presence known.

"Then let the training exercise commence," X gestured commandingly. "Young Sprouts, you know what to do," he rasped then finished with another set of twirls.

A thrill of anticipation coursed the HuntMaster’s form, her eyes imbued with DetectMonster scanned the tunnels. X too was keen to observe the soon to happen hunter's performance.

A young hunter, emboldened by a misplaced confidence, hopped forward, eliciting a fresh wave of angry chitters from the darkness. "Let's check their abilities first! [Inspect]," he squeaked, attempting to command the skill with youthful enthusiasm. His face, however, quickly fell into a deep frown. "Why isn't it working?"

The Huntmaster clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Use your head, young one!" she snapped. "It should be obvious. You can't Inspect what you can't see clearly."

Indeed, the spiders lurked just beyond the reach of the ceiling crystals, cloaked in a veil of impenetrable darkness. Only X and perhaps the Huntmaster, with their superior senses, could discern the details of the hidden menace. Frustrated, the young hunters hopped closer, eager to get a better look. The spiders shifted within the shadows, ready to pounce at any minute.

X, a flurry of agitated tendrils, lashed out in a panicked dance. Few more hops and the young rabbits would find themselves snatched! The rabbits, startled by his unexpected outburst, froze in their tracks.

"Hold back!" a brave rabbit piped up, his gaze locked with the Huntmaster's. "We shouldn’t rush this. We need a plan!" His voice trembled with a mix of frustration and a gnawing sense of unease.

"A plan? Do you have one?" another rabbit yipped while tilting her head.

The brave rabbit shook his head, anger simmering at his own inexperience and the lack of clear direction.

"It would be easier if our HuntMaster just told us what to do," a young brown rabbit muttered under her breath.

"Then where's the learning?" the Huntmaster countered, her voice laced with disappointment. "I need you to think like hunters, act like hunters. What would a seasoned warrior do in this situation? Would they blindly charge into an AMBUSH?"

The brown rabbit mumbled, "Ambush? Probably not…"

"Regardless," another young rabbit chimed in, his voice trembling, "we still need to gather information somehow."

The young hunters devolved into a flurry of panicked yelps, their training seemingly failing them in this unexpected situation. The angry chittering intensified, a chilling soundtrack to their growing fear. Unbeknownst to the young rabbits, the unseen horde of spiders had doubled in size, their hunger whetted by the scent of prey stumbling into their darkened lair.

X's tendril tensed, poised to lash out in defence of the young hunters. But before he could intervene, a dandelion-furred rabbit, her eyes flashing with desperate resolve, stepped forward.

"I have an idea!" she squeaked. With a pull of her paw, she unleashed a hidden compartment within her hunter leathers, releasing a small, nervous-looking ClawSquirrel. "Mr. Acorn," she declared, her voice trembling slightly, "I have a quest for you: greet those… monsters."

The squirrel, not yet fully bonded to its master, looked at the young hunter, then at the grotesque form of X with uncertainty. Yet, a flicker of obedience shone in its beady eyes. It yipped a series of high-pitched chirps that only another squirrel could understand, then bravely hopped towards the darkness, a tiny knight venturing into the dragon's lair.

A spark of hope ignited in X. Perhaps this was a clever tactic – using a lesser creature to scout the enemy's strength. The young rabbits, emboldened by the squirrel's bravery, tensed, their senses focused on the unseen depths of the cavern.

But hope soon turned to horror. The ClawSquirrel hadn't even reached the edge of the darkness when a gigantic, eight-legged monstrosity erupted from the shadows. Razor-sharp mandibles snapped with a sickening click, and the squirrel disappeared into the spider's maw in a single, brutal gulp. The sheer size of the creature sent a wave of revulsion through the rabbits. These were no ordinary CaveSpiders; they were monstrous hunters in their own right.

"No! Mr. Acorns!" the dandelion rabbit wailed, her cheerful fluff deflating in despair. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

In the face of such a monstrous foe, a sense of morbid inspiration struck another young rabbit. "Great thinking, Dandelion!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with a hint of grim determination. "Now, we can [Inspect] them!", she scanned the monstrous spider.

Catching on to the plan, the other young rabbits scrambled to activate their skills. A glimmer of anticipation flickered in X's eldritch eyes – even in the face of tragedy, these young hunters were learning. This attack, though costly, had provided them with a valuable opportunity. As the status table materialised before them it revealed the secrets of their monstrous adversary:

Title: Spider #11

Class: [Beast] lvl.2

Magic Affinity: None

Race: Spider

Variant: Cave

>>>[🕷️]<<<

HP:50

MP:0

STA:50

Skills

[SpinWeb], [SnappingLunge]

Perks

[Ambusher], [Produce: SpiderSilk]

Tags

[Monster]

The rabbits, their faces etched with fascination, devoured the information revealed by the skill. A collective gasp escaped their lips. Non-poisonous? Level 2? Relief washed over them, fleeting and fragile. But the true nature of the monstrous arachnids sent shivers up their rabbit ears.

"SnappingLunge!" one rabbit shrieked, his voice high-pitched with terror. "It used that to devour the squirrel!"

"It has SpinWeb!" another rabbit cried, his eyes wide with dread. "It can trap us in its sticky prison!"

"No, the Ambusher perk!" a third rabbit countered, his voice trembling. "We have to watch the cvae ceiling – that's where others might strike from!"

“How do we tackle this? We need a plan!”

Their frantic brainstorming didn’t last and instead devolved into a cacophony of panicked yelps. No clear plan emerged, their initial bravado was replaced by a gnawing fear. The young warren of hunters huddled together, their vulnerability stark in the cavern's dim light.

Suddenly, a shadow erupted from the darkness. The monstrous spider, emboldened by its easy prey, launched itself in a ferocious lunge towards the rabbits. Before they could react, the Huntmaster surged forward, a blur of fur and muscle. Her spear, honed for countless battles, met the spider in a mid-air clash. With a sickening crunch, the monstrous creature was skewered, its lifeless body twitching in the air.

But the victory was short-lived. A guttural screech echoed from the depths of the cave, a battle cry that sent a wave of terror crashing through the young rabbits. The horde – no longer content to lurk in the shadows – surged forward. Four to one, the odds were stacked impossibly against the rabbits.

Cave spiders, the size of dogs, poured out of the darkness, their eight legs scuttling across the cavern floor. The previously playful space was now a war zone, illuminated by the frantic glow of the ceiling crystals. Overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught, the young rabbits scattered in all directions, their training seemingly forgotten in the face of primal fear.